Toy desk

ABSTRACT

A toy desk has a body with several storage compartments and a magnetic chalkboard on its upper surface. Plastic letters and numbers with closed frontal faces and sides have open backs holding magnets so that the letters and numbers can be magnetically secured to the chalkboard. Several templates storable in a compartment of said desk have picture and message material and through openings shaped to receive selected letters or numbers in an arrangement related to the picture or message. The desk includes means for storing the letters, preferably in a molded tray shaped to receive the letters, and projections are spaced over the corners of the chalkboard to receive templates to overlie the chalkboard.

mted States Patent 1191 1111 3,827,774 Reiling, Jr. Aug. 6, 1974 [54] T OY DESK 3,491,196 1/1970 Stein 35/71 3,669,227 6 1972 Alf d 312 231 [751 lnvemo" p?" Rellmg East Aurora Dl26,969 si1941 wilzim 3 5/60 [73] Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company, Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Chicago, Ill. Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Cumpston, Shaw & 22' Filed: Dec. 6, 1972 Stephens pp 312,684 [57 ABSTRACT A toy desk has a body with several storage compart- Cl. 12/230, 312/231, 312/232, ments and a magnetic chalkboard on its upper surface. 312/234 Plastic letters and numbers with closed frontal faces [51] Int CL. 4 A47b A471) /0 and sides have open backs holding magnets so that the Field of ch 3 2/194, 32, letters and numbers can be magnetically secured to 312/233, 2 6/ G- the chalkboard. Several templates storable in a com- 7l partment of said desk have picture and message material and through openings shaped to receive selected [56] References Cited letters or numbers in an arrangement related to the UNITED STATES PATENTS picture or message. The desk includes means for stor- 2 144 184 1/1939 Hale et a 2| l/DlG 1 ing the letters, preferably in a molded tray shaped to 2582I575 1/1952 Young I. 312/230 x receive the letters, and Projections are Spaced Over the 2:664,l47 12/1953 OKeefe et al.. 297/172 corners of the chalkboard to receive templates to 3,27l,09l 9/1966 Henry i 312/23] X overlie the chalkboard.

Studen 46/17 10 C aims 6 a g Figures WHAT 14 IN THIS r I I in M 23 i 1 TOY nEsrg THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive toy desk has a body with a plurality of storage compartments and an upper surface formed as a magnetic chalkboard. A plurality of plastic letters and numbers each has a closed frontal face and sides and an open back containing a magnet so that the letters and numbers can be magnetically secured to the chalkboard. A plurality of templates each has picture and message material and through openings shaped to receive a selected plurality of letters or numbers in an arrangement related to the picture or message material. Projections spaced over the corners of the chalkboard receive the templates to overlie the chalkboard, and the desk includes means for storing the letters and a storage compartment configured to hold the templates.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive desk;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the desk of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a plastic letter for use with the inventive desk;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the letter of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the letter of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a tray for holding letters in the desk of FIG/'1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Desk 10 of FIG. 1 has a body 11 that is preferably molded'of plastic to have several compartments as described below. An upper surface 12 is formed of magnetic material and has a surface providing a chalkboard for writing or drawing with chalk. A compartment 13 at the back of desk 10 holds an eraser l4 and chalk 15 and other items and has a top opening that can be closed by a pair of sliding doors 16 and 17. A handle 18 on the front of desk 10 can be used for carrying desk 10 about.

A storage compartment in the form of a cavity open at'the front of desk 10 holds a plurality of templates 20 an example of which is best shown in FIG. 1. Each template 20 is a flat card having pictorial material 21 and a written message 22 related to the picture and involving a word or number. Template 20 has through openings 23 shaped to receive selected letters or numbers related to picture 21 and message 22.

Desk 110 also includes a plurality of letters and numbers an example of which is illustrated in FIGS. 3 5. Letter 24 has a closed frontal face 25 and sides 26 and an open back 27 and is preferably molded of plastic material. A walled pocket 28 is molded into the back of letter 24 and holds a magnet 29 secured in place preferably by adhesive. Pocket 28 is preferably formed in the same size in the back of each letter and number included with desk 10 so that a standard size magnet 29 can be secured in each pocket 28. Then each letter or number is magnetically securable to magnetic chalkboard 12.

A plastic tray 30 has shaped recesses 31 for receiving a set of alphabet letters for storage in desk 10. Projections 32 extend inward along the bottom edgesof body 11 to form a slot open at the front of desk 10 to receive the rim 33 of tray 30 filled with alphabet letters. Tray 30 then holds letters safely in place along the underside of desk 10.

If doors 16 and 17 are closed so that contents of compartment 13 will not fall out, desk 10 can be rested on its back edge with handle 18 uppermost and can be carried in such an orientation with letters held in tray 30 and templates 20 safely stored in compartment 1 9. Then for play purposes templates 20 can be removed and selectively laid over chalkboard 12 as illustrated with projections 34 overlying the corners of chalkboard 12 to hold a template 20 in place. Then letters or numbers can be selected to fit in openings 23 to spell out the word or fill in the numbers related to picture 21 and message 22. At the same time, a portion ofchalkboard 12 remains open for writing or drawing. Letters placed in openings 23 magnetically attach to chalkboard 12 for holding themselves securely in place, and letters and numbers can be placed as desired on chalkboard 12 without a template 20. This encourages spelling of words and learning of language and numbers, because a large number of templates can encourage spelling and writing of many words and numbers. When play is finished, letters can be placed in their recesses 31 in tray 30 and slid into the slot formed by projections 32 under desk 10, templates 20 can be replacedin compartment 19, extra letters and numbers and items such as eraser 14 and chalk 15 can be placed in compartment 13, and when doors 16 and 17 are closed, desk 10 can be picked up by handle 18 and carried to a new location. Hence the total combination offers a wide variety of creative and educational play opportunities in a compact, simple, safe, and rugged toy desk.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate the various ways the inventive combination of features can be arranged in a toy desk.

I claim:

1. A toy desk comprising:

a. a generally box-shaped body having a plurality of storage compartments;

b. an upper surface of said body being formed as a magentic chalkboard;

c. a plurality of molded plastic letters and numbers each having a closed frontal face and sides and an open back;

d. a magnet secured in said open back of each of said letters and numbers so said letters and numbers can be removably secured to said chalkboard;

e. a plurality of templates each having picture and word message material and through openings shaped to receive a selected plurality of said letters or numbers arranged in words or number sequences related to said picture and word message material;

projections spaced over corners of said chalkboard to receive said templates to overlie said chalkboard so said magnetic letters and numbers can be removably secured to said chalkboard through said through openings while said templates are held over said chalkboard by said projections;

g. means for storing said letters in said desk apart from other materials stored in said desk; and

h. one of said storage compartments being configured to hold said templates apart from other materials stored in said desk.

2. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein another one of said storage compartments is arranged at the back of said desk to hold extra ones of said plastic numbers and letters, chalk and an eraser, and a pair of sliding doors is arranged over said other storage compartment.

3. The toy desk of claim 1 including a plastic tray having molded recesses shaped to receive said letters, and said storing means comprises projections forming a slot under said desk and open at the front of said desk to hold said tray filled with said letters.

4. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein said template storage compartment comprises a cavity open at the front of said desk, and including a carrying handle on the front of said desk.

5. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein said templates are smaller than said chalkboard to leave room for writing or drawing on said chalkboard when one of said templates overlies said chalkboard.

6. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein each of said letters or numbers has a walled recess molded into said open back, and said magnets are all standard size to fit in said recesses.

7. The toy desk of claim 6 wherein another one of said storage compartments is arranged at the back of said desk to hold extra ones of said plastic numbers and letters, chalk and an eraser, and a pair of sliding doors is arranged over said other storage compartment.

8. The toy desk of claim 7 wherein said template storage compartment comprises a cavity open at the front of said desk, and including a carrying handle on the front of said desk.

9. The toy desk of claim 8 including a plastic tray having molded recesses shaped to receive said letters, and said storing means comprises projections forming a slot under said desk and open at the front of said desk to hold said tray filled with said letters.

10. The toy desk of claim 9 wherein said templates are smaller than said chalkboard to leave room for writing or drawing on said chalkboard when one of said templates overlies said chalkboard. 

1. A toy desk comprising: a. a generally box-shaped body having a plurality of storage compartments; b. an upper surface of said body being formed as a magentic chalkboard; c. a plurality of molded plastic letters and numbers each having a closed frontal face and sides and an open back; d. a magnet secured in said open back of each of said letters and numbers so said letters and numbers can be removably secured to said chalkboard; e. a plurality of templates each having picture and word message material and through openings shaped to receive a selected plurality of said letters or numbers arranged in words or number sequences related to said picture and word message material; f. projections spaced over corners of said chalkboard to receive said templates to overlie said chalkboard so said magnetic letters and numbers can be removably secured to said chalkboard through said through openings while said templates are held over said chalkboard by said projections; g. means for storing said letters in said desk apart from other materials stored in said desk; and h. one of said storage compartments being configured to hold said templates apart from other materials stored in said desk.
 2. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein another one of said storage compartments is arranged at the back of said desk to hold extra ones of said plastic numbers and letters, chalk and an eraser, and a pair of sliding doors is arranged over said other storage compartment.
 3. The toy desk of claim 1 including a plastic tray having molded recesses shaped to receive said letters, and said storing means comprises projections forming a slot under said desk and open at the front of said desk to hold said tray filled with said letters.
 4. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein said template storage compartment comprises a cavity open at the front of said desk, and including a carrying handle on the front of said desk.
 5. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein said templates are smaller than said chalkboard to leave room for writing or drawing on said chalkboard when one of said templates overlies said chalkboard.
 6. The toy desk of claim 1 wherein each of said letters or numbers has a walled recess molded into said open back, and said magnets are all standard size to fit in said recesses.
 7. The toy desk of claim 6 wherein another one of said storage compartments is arranged at the back of said desk to hold extra ones of said plastic numbers and letters, chalk and an eraser, and a pair of sliding doors is arranged over said other storage compartment.
 8. The toy desk of claim 7 wherein said template storage compartment comprises a cavity open at the front of said desk, and including a carrying handle on the front of said desk.
 9. The toy desk of claim 8 including a plastic tray having molded recesses shaped to receive said letters, and said storing means comprises projections forming a slot under said desk and open at the front of said desk to hold said tray filled with said letters.
 10. The toy desk of claim 9 wherein said templates are smaller than said chalkboard to leave room for writing or drawing on said chalkboard when one of said templates overlies said chalkboard. 